Dalai Lama sorry he missed meeting Mandela in 2011

[Galen]

December 6, 2013 4:46 pm
By Vishal Gulati
Extracted from: http://tibet.net/2013/12/06/dalai-lama-sorry-he-missed-meeting-mandela-in-2011/

Dharamsala, Dec 6 (IANS) Two years ago, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama called off a trip to South Africa as it was “inconvenient” for that country’s government to grant him a visa and missed a chance to meet Nelson Mandela again.

After cancelling his trip in October 2011, the Dalai Lama, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, had said: “I am very sad and very much (hoped) to see Nelson Mandela, who is now very old. So now I doubt whether I can have another occasion to meet him.”
 
 An aide of the Dalai Lama said Friday: “His Holiness’ desire to meet former president Nelson Mandela remained unfulfilled.”
 
 Anti-apartheid icon Mandela died Thursday at the age of 95. World leaders mourned the death of South Africa’s first black president who India called “a true Gandhian”.
 
 In July, when Mandela was hospitalised in Pretoria for a recurring lung infection, the Dalai Lama expressed concern over the deteriorating health of Mandela saying “everybody is praying now”.
 
 Tenzin Taklha, joint secretary at the Dalai Lama’s office here, told IANS that the Dalai Lama wrote to the family of Mandela expressing his deep sadness at the anti-apartheid hero’s passing away.
 
 ”His Holiness said that he will personally miss a dear friend who he had hoped to meet again and for whom he had great admiration and respect,” a statement from the Dalai Lama’s office said.
 
 In his letter, the 78-year-old monk said: “He was a man of courage, principle and unquestionable integrity, a great human being, someone of whom we can truly say: ‘He lived a meaningful life’. I pray for him and offer my heartfelt condolences to you, the members of your family and the entire people of South Africa.”
 
 The Dalai Lama had cancelled his trip to South Africa in 2011, where he had been invited by fellow Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, to take part in celebrations to mark the archbishop’s 80th birthday.
 
 That was the second time in two years that the Dalai Lama’s visit to South Africa was blocked, said aides of the Dalai Lama.
 
 Speaking to France Info radio while in New Zealand this year, the Dalai Lama said South Africa’s anti-apartheid icons like Mandela and Desmond Tutu were ageing and frail and “logically they are going to go”.
 
 ”The important thing is to preserve his memory,” the Dalai Lama was quoted as saying. “I feel it’s my responsibility” to ensure that and to see they inspire even after they have gone, he said.
 
 The Dalai Lama had earlier visited South Africa three times — 1996, 1999 and 2004.
 
 The last time the Dalai Lama met Mandela was Nov 5, 2004 in Johannesburg, according to a post on Dalai Lama’s official website.
 
 Before that, the two Nobel laureates met each other Aug 21, 1996 in Cape Town. However, during the Dalai Lama’s 1999 trip to South Africa there was no meeting between the two icons.
 
The Dalai Lama, who has spoken in favour of “greater autonomy” for Tibet from China, rather than complete independence, has lived in exile in India since fleeing Tibet during a failed uprising in 1959.


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In light of the passing of Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama expressed his regret of not being able to meet his friend two years ago. These two great men fought for the independence of their country. Nelson Maldela was jailed for more than 20 years and endured hardship for the vision of a free Africa. The Dalai Lama is also a fighter of Tibetan Independence who have fled his country, living in exile and still fighting for independence.

What caught my attention on this report is the end paragraph (Which i have highlighted in red). It says that the Dalai Lama is in favour of "Greater autonomy" from China rather than complete independence. Again, the Tibetan cause which the Tibetans have been fighting for the last few decades has been washed down by their own Government. This report came from the CTA themselves and was published on 6th Dec. So I would imagine that this is the latest statement that a greater independence is the way to go and disregard what the fight that was going on the last few years.

So, why did so many Tibetans die for a cause their Government is now not going for?

[vajrastorm]

HH Dalai Lama  and the late Mandela shared a strong bond. Both were world peace laureates. Both spent decades fighting for their nations' freedom. Mandela was thrown in jail for over 20 years, but endured all the hardship because of his vision of a free Africa.

HH Dalai Lama said that Mandela was someone of whom we can say: "He led a meaningful life". The same can be said of the Dalai Lama. In exile from his country, he has spent his time indefatigably spreading the Buddhadharma until Buddhism has become a household word. Wanting so much for his country to be completely liberated from Chinese rule initially, he has had to concede to the strength and power of China, and to opt instead for appealing  for greater autonomy for Tibet.

He greatly appreciates the strength of the other two great senior leaders - the late Mandela and Archibishop Desmond Tutu - and for their using their strength and power to serve their country. He says that it was his mission to ensure that these two great men continue to inspire even when they had passed on.
   




 

[dondrup]

The World had just lost a great leader in Nelson Mandela - an epitome of peace & freedom. Nelson Mandela had struggled and sacrificed so much to gain freedom for the people of South Africa.  He is determined and persevered until he had succeeded.

The Tibetans Cause for total independence has however evolved into total autonomy. HHDL had advocated total autonomy from the Chinese rule. The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) had not made any progress whatsoever on the fate of the Tibetans in exile until today. It's a checkmate as far as the Chinese government is concerned, there is no other move!

What's the point of His Holiness Dalai Lama fulfilling his wish to meet  Nelson Mandela again?

If HHDL is truly concerned about peace & freedom, He should advise CTA to lift the ban now and grant total freedom to the Tibetan Shugden followers.

[Rinchen]

Totally agreed with dondrup. If the Dalai Lama is really concerned about peace, why is there still the ban on Dorje Shugden? And why did he even have a ban on Dorje Shugden in the first place. It just does not make any sense at all. It does not show anything at all.

Through that, it only shows us that there is a contradiction to what is being said and done. With this, who is going to trust him ever again? By thinking it in a circular way, I believe almost no one would understand what is going on. But if we put it in a spiritual way, then we can say that there maybe a reason that is going on that the Dalai Lama should not be telling us what is it yet.

[lotus1]

We just loss a great leader - Nelson Mandela! His is truly a great leader that despite all the hardship and difficulties and worked tirelessly for his nation and people. He is a Bodhisattva in actions! May he rest in peace and come back again.
As for HH Dalai Lama, on one hand he is a peace and compassion spoke person. On the other hand he is imposing the ban on Dorje Shugden with no basis and causing so much sufferings to the Shugden practitioners. He is simply contradicting himself on his action and the only reason i believe is for Buddhism to spread in another way. I hope more people can see it and realised that the ban is not logical at all and join force in voicing out to push for the ban to be lifted soonest!

[thor]

Isn't it rather ironic how the Dalai Lama praises Nelson Mandela as an anti-apartheid hero on the one hand, yet incites fear, hate and righteous anger against Dorje Shugden practitioners?

Isn't it also ironic how Nelson Mandela is praised as a "Gandhian" and an example of ahimsa? And how the Dalai Lama teaches compassion and loving kindness yet encourages his subjects to self immolate?

And isn't it ironic how the Dalai Lama has changed his tune from full-fledged Tibetan independence to a shadow of that in now asking for greater autonomy?

What is it with the Dalai Lama's self contradictory statements and actions? Is his inconsistency the only thing the Dalai Lama is consistent about?

[gbds3jewels]

The world has indeed lotsa great leader in Nelson Mandela. For all that Nelson Mandela has done, he has his flaws and criticisms, similarly for all Dalai Lama's greatness and compassion, many will criticse and find faults with his actions. When we die who do we want people to remember us as? The world will remember Nelson Mandela as the great hero against apartheid and a great leader of his nation. The world certainly remember the Dalai Lama as the icon of Tibetan Buddhism and his immense compassion. In the end it is not a person's religion that people remember but what they did and achieve in their lifetime. What true great leaders of the world have in common is how they live their lives to benefit others.

[WisdomBeing]

Isn't it rather ironic how the Dalai Lama praises Nelson Mandela as an anti-apartheid hero on the one hand, yet incites fear, hate and righteous anger against Dorje Shugden practitioners?

Isn't it also ironic how Nelson Mandela is praised as a "Gandhian" and an example of ahimsa? And how the Dalai Lama teaches compassion and loving kindness yet encourages his subjects to self immolate?

And isn't it ironic how the Dalai Lama has changed his tune from full-fledged Tibetan independence to a shadow of that in now asking for greater autonomy?

What is it with the Dalai Lama's self contradictory statements and actions? Is his inconsistency the only thing the Dalai Lama is consistent about?

Thor, you are so right. The Dalai Lama has been completely consistent over being inconsistent. It is one of the main conundrums over the Dorje Shugden issue. I mean the bigger picture hypothesis is a panacea those who need to believe in the infallibility of the Dalai Lama. Personally, i would like to wait and see what happens.

The Dalai Lamas of the past have not exactly been saints though they have managed to keep the title of incarnated living buddha through the ages. It is easy to say that they are all deliberately making mistakes because of a higher reason - in that way they can never do anything wrong but it's a bit of a cop out to me. The reason why i changed to Buddhism from Christianity was exactly because i had thought that Buddhism is supposed to be a logical religion and not one that required you to have blind faith. If faith is required, i might as well believe in Christianity which says that i am saved if i believe in God and Christ. In Buddhism, there is the threat of heaven and hell - which is the fear factor i thought i was leaving when i left Christianity, and instead of God being infallible, we have the Buddha - and in this case, the living Buddha such as the Dalai Lama. Life certainly is interesting.

[Galen]

The world has indeed lotsa great leader in Nelson Mandela. For all that Nelson Mandela has done, he has his flaws and criticisms, similarly for all Dalai Lama's greatness and compassion, many will criticse and find faults with his actions. When we die who do we want people to remember us as? The world will remember Nelson Mandela as the great hero against apartheid and a great leader of his nation. The world certainly remember the Dalai Lama as the icon of Tibetan Buddhism and his immense compassion. In the end it is not a person's religion that people remember but what they did and achieve in their lifetime. What true great leaders of the world have in common is how they live their lives to benefit others.

True that the world will remember the good deeds one has contributed to the world as remembrance. The Dalai Lama is indeed a compassionate living Buddha. He is Avalokiteshvara. Because of him, Tibetan Buddhism has spread far and wide in the Western world and the Western world is behind him fighting for the freedom of Tibet.

But the Dalai Lama will also be remembered as the person who split the Tibetan community for imposing the ban on Dorje Shugden. On one hand he is fighting for freedom for his country and on the other he is oppressing the freedom of his own people. He will definitely be loved more if he reunites the people again by lifting the ban.